Bone smashing .243

G'day.


LanceOregon said:
If the person making these recommendations to you included the VMAX, then I would seriously question their judgment and knowledge.
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The gentelman that has the projectiles says,
65 Gr V-Max not much good for large pigs in body, but will allow you excellent results if you can head shoot.
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Thanks to everybody that have contribted to this thread. I enjoy reading all the helpfull sugestions about bullets I don't have the choice of.:D
 
Either of the two Sierra bullets oughta do just fine. I've killed 20-some whitetail bucks with the 85-grain HPBT. A rib on the way in is no obstacle, and it's thicker than a cow's head bones. Inside? A double-handful of mush.
 
Well... if they are cattle, then what you need is a cowboy, not a better bullet. A good cowboy could just ride up close enough to either rope it or shoot it with a pistol.

That said, I have had good luck shooting deer in the head with 100 gr Hornady bullets. I just put it about an inch behind the ear and they die instantly.
 
When head shooting cows for butchering at 30 to 50 yards they are generally standing still & looking at you. If you do your part right I bet you notice no difference between the 2 bullets suggested in their ability to offer instant kills.
The cow that needed a follow up shot that you referred to in the OP was hit poorly. Shoot them in the wrong place in the head & you wont kill them instantly, even if you use a 375 H&H.
 
I guess that a head shot for something as stationary as a cow would be feasible and effective.

I would generally rule out such a shot for any normal type of hunting.

A grand uncle on my mother's side of the family used to kill deer regularly with neck shots, and swore that it was an extremely effective shot to take, instantly dropping the animal to the ground stone dead. But it really takes a dedicated marksmen with outstanding skills, as there is not that much room for error.

Do you have shooting sticks to help steady your aim?

.
 
G'day

Do you have shooting sticks to help steady your aim?
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He was shooting from the drivers seat of the Toyota.

The cow that needed a follow up shot that you referred to in the OP was hit poorly. Shoot them in the wrong place in the head & you wont kill them instantly, even if you use a 375 H&H.
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Without the follow up shot I think the cow would have died at least as quick as a double lung hit. Hit in the head it dropped like a sack of $h!t. The other bloke just wanted to speed up the "dead" process with the second shot, as I imagine a lot of others here at TFL would want to.

The reason for the 2 different projectiles is so that the person that does the shooting can choose witch projectile HE prefers. Then I'll load what he wants, not what I think he might like.
 
If a cow was head shot for butchering & was going to take the same time to die as a double lung shot, then the cow was hit poorly.
A properly placed shot to the brain of a cow will kill it instantly, although it may give a few kicks from nerves.
I say there will be no noticeable difference between a 85 grain or 100 grain bullet from a 243 if brain shooting a cow for butchering at distances of 30 to 50 yards with a good Toyota rest.
My father owned a cattle property that ran over a hundred head of beef cattle. Over the 25 years we ran cattle there were numerous occassions when we had to shoot cattle- drought, broken legs, sickness, & butchering. Mainly used 22 lr if in the yards, but if out in the open at distances of 30 to 50 yards a 222 was the largest caliber that was ever used. They dropped dead on the spot every time, but you have to hit them right.
 
I do consider bullet weight & construction very important for hunting, but not particularly important for brain shooting cows for butchering.
 
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We've taken many large mulies with our older .243 Remington rifle. Lately, we've hunted with discounted PMP ammo from S. Africa that combines rapid expansion with deep penetration!

Jack
 
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